After admitting our newest class and graduating our most recent, the IRT is thrilled to launch our newest summer workshop. This workshop will continue to build on our previous virtual delivery with curriculum delivery, Chalk Talks, Recruiters Weekend, and opportunities for scholars to demonstrate their learning. I am excited to see how our Summer faculty will continue to develop ways to support scholars through these shifts in higher education and greater society.
IRT Scholars continue to impress me year after year. Spring is our season of buzz, when scholars reach out to share if they’ve heard back from the schools they applied to. Some navigate interviews, while others send updates on their Scholar Chat. No matter the outcome, I am consistently filled with pride.
Throughout my IRT tenure, higher education has been evolving — from the COVID-19 pandemic to attacks on diversity in education — and it has not been an easy time to stay committed to improving educational outcomes. Yet time and again, I see IRT Scholars not only working hard to submit their applications but also witnessing our alumni make a significant difference in the lives of others.
“We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” — MLK “The Purpose of Education,” 1947
Happy New Year, IRT Community!
As we head into the depths of winter, the IRT staff is hard at work supporting our scholars. This fall was a difficult one, as many scholars navigated program changes and ultimately submitted their applications. We are continually grateful for our broader IRT community – our Consortium partners, alumni who advise scholars through SOP advising, and friends of the program who support our work. Our Scholars worked to complete their applications by the December 15 deadline, and many are now hearing back about interviews. We are proud of all our scholars for embarking on this process during such a difficult time.
What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore— And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat Or crust and sugar over— like a syrupy sweet?
To be transparent, the last few months have also been difficult – I have met with numerous scholars who have had to defer due to personal circumstances or concerns regarding the state of education. To that end, I struggled to imagine what I could say in this newsletter to fully encapsulate this moment, a tension of both hope, sadness, and awareness. However, during my second Jimmy Fund Walk, I think I figured it out.
As I waved to the young cancer patients at Dana-Farber and took my first steps of the 5K, I realized that is all we can do. Put one foot in front of the other, even though we are vulnerable. Throughout the walk, I thought of how so many people in our community are affected by cancer – and yet we all continue to do our best. Those lessons, however small, apply to my feelings about our current reality in higher education. We may not know the outcome, but we can continue to move forward as best we can. To some degree, that is what our scholars are doing.
Congratulations to our IRT Scholars who have recently completed the IRT program and are preparing for their next steps! We know that this was not an easy year for graduate admissions, and we are proud of you regardless of your final decision. This year, I learned more from our scholars than I anticipated. I learned about their commitment, discipline, and unwavering hope and optimism, as well as their resolute belief in improving our education system, regardless of their location. I’m proud of what you accomplished, even if this year did not turn out as you anticipated.
Over the last few weeks, we have begun welcoming our newest cohort. This year, we experienced our highest virtual turnover ever for our Orientation, and we hope to continue building on our momentum of expanding our Summer Curriculum to all scholars via both asynchronous and synchronous virtual delivery. Our incoming cohort of over 130 scholars demonstrated a keen ability to articulate why they are invested in their research and goals at this critical time, as well as how this community can support one another. I am grateful to the IRT staff and Summer Workshop Faculty for developing and delivering our content.
Institute for Recruitment of Teachers 
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